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Brazil vs Germany

In the southern corner of Brazil there are the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. Along with neighboring Uruguay, they were a bone of contention for Spain and Portugal with competing claims. Eventually Uruguay fell under Spanish influence, while the Brazilian states were taken into Portugal. This changed in 1820s when Argentina and Brazil separated from Spain and Portugal respectively. A war was fought and Uruguay became independent. The aforementioned states also formed a republic, Riograndese Republic, which was subsequently conquered by Brazil in 1845.

The formative years of the Riograndese Republic also saw a huge influx of immigrants from Germany. Germany, at that time, was a loose confederation of kingdoms, principlaties, duchies and counties, before being united into the German Empire in 1871. The 1820s saw an exodus of Germans to America for better opportunities away from the political uncertainties at home. Most of these immigrants went to USA, but a large chunk went to Brazil.

Today, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina share a strong German heritage. But things haven’t been all easy for Germans in Brazil. In its initial years. the Nazi party, looking to extend its influence outside Germany, looked for the German Brazilian population. For a while, the Nazi party in Brazil was the party’s largest foreign contingent. In both the world wars, Brazil started at a neutral position. But after Germany sunk Brazilian merchant ships during both the wars, Brazil took up arms against Germany.